India rover confirms presence of sulfur on the Moon

After completing almost a week inspecting the surface of the Moon, the Indian rover named Pragyan has confirmed the presence of sulfur at the satellite’s south pole, according to the country’s space agency.

Last week, India became the first country to land near the unexplored South Pole and the fourth to reach this astronomical object after Russia, the United States and China.

Presence of the element “unequivocally”

“The Laser Induced Decay Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument aboard the Chandrayaan-3 rover has made the first in situ measurements of the elemental composition of the lunar surface near the south pole,” the Indian Space Research Organization reported. (ISRO) in a statement.

“These in situ measurements confirm the presence of sulfur in the region unequivocally, something that was not feasible with the instruments aboard the orbiters,” he added.

Spectrographic analysis also confirmed the presence of aluminium, calcium, iron, chromium and titanium on the lunar surface, the ISRO added, with additional measurements showing the presence of manganese, silicon and oxygen. Also, the Indian mission is now looking for hydrogen.

A job that will last two weeks

The Pragyan rover, which means “wisdom” in Sanskrit, has six wheels and is powered by solar energy. It will roam the relatively poorly mapped South Pole, transmitting images and science data during its two-week lifespan.

India has been matching the achievements of other space programs, despite suffering some setbacks. Four years ago, India’s previous lunar mission failed during its final descent, in what was seen at the time as a huge setback for the program.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission has captivated public attention since its launch nearly six weeks ago in front of thousands of viewers, and its successful moon landing last week came just days after a Russian lander crashed on the moon. same region.

upcoming missions

In 2014, India became the first Asian country to put a spacecraft in orbit around Mars and plans to send a probe to the Sun in September.

ISRO plans to launch a three-day manned mission into Earth orbit next year. It also plans a joint mission with Japan to send another probe to the Moon in 2025 and an orbital mission to Venus in the next two years.

Keep reading:
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· What hides the south pole of the Moon and why many are interested in being able to reach it and investigate it